Arequipa, the White City
Arequipa is an outstanding city, full of nice views and amazing buildings. This city is located in the South of Peru in a mountainous area and close to a the beautiful Volcano, called El Misti. Arequipa has many important buildings made of a white volcano rock called Sillar, which is the reason Arequipa gets its name: The white city.
Arequipa is the capital city of a prosperous province and the local people are very proud of that. It is a very clean city full of interesting attractions like the Plaza de Armas square and its stunning Cathedral, the Santa Catalina Monastery, and the Catholic University Museum, where the famous "Ice Princess Mummy" is exhibited. Backpacking in Peru, should include a visit to Arequipa, so be certain not to skip it while travelling in Peru.
From Arequipa you can take great tours to the El Misti Volcano and the Colca Canyon. El Misti is a snow capped volcano about 5800m high that overlooks the city of Arequipa. Excursions are offered for trekking to its peak which take about 2 days. Also, one of the most popular tours is the Colca Canyon, a huge canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon (USA). You can travel there by bus arriving in the town of Chivay, a picturesque small town where you can buy very beautiful textile art crafts and enjoy nice "peñas" (folklore bars).
From Chivay you must take a bus to Cabanaconde and stop at the Condor Cross, a view point in the route where you can see flying Condors. It?s important to be there at the right time, because it is more common to see condors from 8 to 10 am or 4 to 6 pm.
Finally you can start a trekking tour down the Canyon from Cabanaconde. When you arrive at the canyon you will be surprised by awesome views and good trails. Down the valley there are great cottages and camping sites to spend the night. When coming back you can get a direct bus from Cabanaconde to Arequipa.
